Will There Be The Raid 3? After 11 Years, Gareth Evans Finally Has a Promising Update
14 years ago, Gareth Evans released The Raid, and three years later, The Raid 2 – films that became the gold standard of the action genre. For more than a decade, the director has given fans no hope of a third installment – until now.
Welsh-born Gareth Evans unexpectedly became the man who brought the power of Indonesian cinema to the world – in 2011, he made The Raid, a brutal action film about a police team storming a high-rise building, for just $1 million.
The sequel to The Raid was written before the first movie and was only shelved because the director did not have the money to make it. With a small budget, he tried his hand at a cheaper production and then made a bigger sequel.
The Raid Fans Have Been Waiting for the Third Movie for More Than a Decade
Since 2014, when The Raid 2 was released, all fans of the action genre have been waiting for the third Raid. Reddit user coentertainer commented:
“For me The Raid 2 is by far and away the best action movie ever made [...]. It also ends in a way that really invites a third movie. Such a shame they didn't make more.”
But until recently, Gareth Evans was inclined to think that this epic had come to an end.
Gareth Evans “Got a New Concept” for the Third Raid Movie
Now that his Havoc, starring Tom Hardy, has been released, Evans has revealed new details about his plans for the third film, and they are sure to please all of the director's fans.
In an interview with EW, Gareth Evans said:
“Seeing him [Iko Uwais] after the seven-year gap of time, I was kind of struck by how much he'd grown, how much he'd matured, how many different experiences he'd had. [I] came away feeling like I got a new concept for what The Raid 3 could be.”
Iko Uwais is the main star of Gareth Evans' films, not only the Raids, but also Merantau, released in 2009. The meeting with the actor after the separation apparently awakened in the director not only nostalgia, but also ideas for a new Raid movie.
Until Recently, Gareth Evans Had No Plans to Make Another Raid Movie
After the release of The Raid 2, there were rumors that Evans was preparing a third film, but in 2018, the director himself denied them. In an interview with Cinemablend, he said:
“The Raid 3 was... at one point it was on my radar. I had a full idea. [...] But I think enough time has passed now that I think I'm not likely to go back and revisit it.”
Evans' new comment is the first confirmation that the third installment could still see the light of day. Gareth himself makes it clear that The Raid 3 will only happen if he can come up with something that will definitely live up to the expectations of the fans.
